In the last morning before the open of training camp, the Dallas Stars announced via twitter that the club has agreed to a contract extension with superstar center Tyler Seguin. The reported term on the deal is the max eight years for an AAV of 9.85. The deal secures the Stars at the number center spot for the foreseeable future.
The deal also comes with this extremely creative and awesome announcement by the Stars media team.
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) September 13, 2018
The 26 year old center is coming off the most productive season of his career, a year that saw him score 40 goals and tally 78 points in 82 games played. Seguin would also go on to take a massive step forward in the leadership of the club, becoming an assistant captain for the first time in his career. It is widely seen that Seguin took a massive step forward in his maturation as an all around number one center in 2017-18.
The term of the deal is for the max allowed by the league (eight years), but the most surprising element could be the 9.85 AAV. The Stars were reported to be aiming for a deal that mirrored the deal signed by Jamie Benn in 2016, but it seemed that Seguin could garner around 10 to 11 million a season. The 9.85 a season can be seen as a win for both sides, as the Stars reached their end goal and Seguin seems to have taken a home town discount.
Seguin was famously acquired by the Dallas Stars on July 4th, 2013, in a trade with the Boston Bruins. In the years since his arrival in Dallas, Seguin ranks third in goal scoring over a 5 year span, trailing only Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby. The Stars number 1 center has also formed a tight relationship with the Stars other superstar in captain Jamie Benn. The duo has combined for a point total that ranks in the top five in the league over their span together. With Seguin on the roster, the club has made the post season twice, including a 50 win, top seeded finish in 2015-16.